Seattle's new minimum wage hasn't raised retail prices

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After a year, Seattle's new minimum wage hasn't raised retail prices
More than a year after a new minimum wage took effect in Seattle–$12.50 an hour now for small employers, increasing to $15 an hour by January 2018–prices at most stores haven’t gone up.
Before the minimum wage law took effect, most retailers said they would have to charge more. So far, that hasn’t happened.
Saw this while in Seattle recently. Thought it was interesting. Sometimes, prophecies of gloom and doom don't come true.
 
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What was the defacto min wage before the law was enacted ?
Retailers where I live were having to pay higher than the minimum wage simply to attract employees.
Min wage was more in use in service and manual labor sorts of jobs.
I would expect Seattle retail to be much the same.
 
What was the defacto min wage before the law was enacted ?
Retailers where I live were having to pay higher than the minimum wage simply to attract employees.
Min wage was more in use in service and manual labor sorts of jobs.
I would expect Seattle retail to be much the same.
It could be that most employers were paying more than minimum already. In either case, raising the minimum had exactly zero impact.

Seattle isn't exactly a low rent city.
 
It could be that most employers were paying more than minimum already. In either case, raising the minimum had exactly zero impact.

Seattle isn't exactly a low rent city.
No impact on retail.
What about on restaurants motels office rent ?
 
All

amounts to the same thing anyway I guess. How does the minimum wage work there, is their any caveats?
Doesn't apply to wait staff or other tip compensated types if jobs nor migrant workers. Maybe a few others.
The idea here was to hold down high school kid jobs but then it started getting impossible to pay min wage so it fizzled out.
 
Is there a differentiation in the US between earning a minimum wage and living wage? we have two - minimum wage basically if you're under 25 and living wage if you're over 25

Unfortunately, there isn't, at least in most states, and certainly not in red states!
In California, in some cities, they have both. The minimum wage for everyone (usually $11.00 per hour, but $12 if no benefits are offered) but those working in local city government (like Santa Cruz, CA)and their contractors get "living wage," which is higher than the minimum wage ($15.73 but going up) but still not great, especially since the rent in Santa Cruz is very high for the kind of job offered in the direct area.

One reason is that Santa Cruz is situated across the "hill" from Silicon Valley, and many working there prefers to travel daily to Santa cruz for fresh air, the ocean, and the wonderful, free and open life style.

I know. . .My husband did it for 15 years, and I did it for 3 years.

On June 28, 2016, the Board of Supervisors approved an increase in the Living Wage rates from $15.39 per hour to $15.73 per hour, and from $16.78 per hour to $17.15 per hour without benefits. Please complete the enclosed Compliance Statement and return to me on or before July 8, 2016. This will ensure prompt release of your contracts and/or purchase orders in the next fiscal year. You may fax your completed form to my attention at 831-454-2710 or scan/email your completed form to kevin.bratcher@santacruzcounty.us.
 
Is there a differentiation in the US between earning a minimum wage and living wage? we have two - minimum wage basically if you're under 25 and living wage if you're over 25

Minimum wage is not a living wage except in the very poorest locations. No way could anyone live on minimum, or even on 15 bucks an hour, in Seattle. Apartments there go for 2-3 grand a month for just a basic no frills no luxury place.
 
Minimum wage is not a living wage except in the very poorest locations. No way could anyone live on minimum, or even on 15 bucks an hour, in Seattle. Apartments there go for 2-3 grand a month for just a basic no frills no luxury place.
Pretty much the same here, the likes of nurses for example who can't afford anything like the rents asked for in London.... its a problem.
 
Pretty much the same here, the likes of nurses for example who can't afford anything like the rents asked for in London.... its a problem.
I've often wondered just where people who tend bar and wait tables in some of the coastal communities where houses start at a million and go up actually live.
 
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I've often wondered just where people who tend bar and wait tables in some of the coastal communities where houses start at a million and go up actually live.
I guess you have social houseing? We have large stocks of social houseing here in the UK where the local authorities build flats/houses for low income families and immigrants which are rented out for "nominal" amounts - funded by the tax payers of course. They are not the best build quality but are at least affordable. The UK has a housing shortage (due to all the immigrants that are not coming here!!) so a lot of estates are being planned/built - the idea being that these new estates must have a mix of private and social housing.
 
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